Google to Launch Gmail Labs

From today Gmail users will be able to influence the design of Google’s popular webmail app.

You should start to notice a new tab in your Gmail settings marked "Labs." When you click on the tab, you will have the option of adding new beta services that have not yet been extensively tested. there should be about 13 new features, including:

An option that lets you bookmark specific Gmail messages

Superstars tool that lets you choose custom stars to label your mail

Mouse Gestures

See profile pictures in Gmail chat, previously only available in Google Talk.

An "email addict" option that lets you ban yourself from checking your email for 15 minutes.

At the moment all of the features will be created only by Gmail engineers, but eventually Google will open the project so that third parties can create Gmail features that will be available to the general public.